Here’s our PopKomm artwork. Hope to see you in Berlin!

Expect a lot more from me when it comes to updates. Been a very quiet and relaxing summer. But things are heating up. For one, a lot of interesting policy documents and ideas are coming from the new ‘Big Society’ rhetoric from the British conservative government. Yes, it’s conservative. Anywho, I find Ken Livingstone’s music policy for London worth a read if you have a moment. I’ve cut and pasted parts below. London has issues with licensing and noise regulation, and understanding and sorting it out could prove beneficial for the live music community here. And what happens in London affects everywhere else, at least in music.

Give it a whirl… Put on the kettle.

as he says:
A new policy document published today, Ken4Music, includes commitments to:

* Work with venues across the city and the international music industry to create a London-wide music festival/expo
* Incorporate protection of live music venues into the Mayor’s planning strategy – the London Plan for the first time
* Create a forum to ensure better lines of communication between local authorities, the mayor, and the music industry.

Here’s a link to read it: Ken 4 Music.

2 Different Posters, same Festival.

TICKETS:
https://fan.musicglue.com/sale/promoproducts.aspx?productid=d1ebe2af-f205-4266-87d5-8658cd59c946

The showcase market in Germany is getting busier each year, with large conferences setting up across the country to rival historical stalwart PopKomm.  In the east lies Leipzig, the book publishing and art capitol of Saxony, and here is Pop-Up.  Pop-Up is much smaller, quieter and independent that PopKomm, Reeperbahn or Cologne POP, but in its own right it has its merits.  In the gorgeous WERK II venue, an old mill and trading market of sorts built on cobblestones and graffiti, there’s a trade fair where the more dyed-in-the-wool independent companies are setting up shop.  There’s panels in the old workhouse, and an interview area to the front of of the trade show, where Canadian Blast was invited to answer some questions.  In addition, there four venues, including one of the most beautiful we have ever encountered.  It’s called UT Connewitz. It’s breathtaking.

This was more laid back than most festivals.  The trade show opened for two days, while bands played both during the day and night, with DJs taking over the clubs afterwards.  We had one Canadian present, the fantastic Wolf Parade, who headlined the closing gig of the festival at Halle D, a venue that saw its first shows for the festival, as a test case in prep for its official opening in July.  Lots of German bands played, including Bang Bang Bang, The Lo Fat Orchestra and Me and the White Tiger, but aside from Wolf Parade it was Domino signed Brit Max Tundra that impressed the most, alongside Iceland’s For a Minor Reflection and Whale Watching Tour, featuring Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurdsson.

Germany has more independent labels than one can count it seems, and a lot of them were here for Leipzig Pop-Up.  The trade show was filled with the people who still put up posters across town in February, do the door at their shows and flyer outside other peoples gigs.  There’s something to be said about that aesthetic, and it was on show in full force here.  Leipzig is a fiercely independent town, and its musicians and companies exemplified that.

Otherwise, Canadian Blast took in the sights.  Leipzig is surrounded by lakes and forests, creating a ton of hiking trails.  In addition, there is a big hill in the centre of town made from World War II rubble.  We were taken up there by one of Berlin’s best music journalists, Axel Rahmlow, right before the interview.

But now it is back to London, as there’s the Puregroove gig and Great Escape this week.  Here we go.

Here’s some pictures from the Pop-Up site:

Saturday afternoon saw the start of Canadian Blast’s hectic may schedule. Taking over the Fiddler’s Elbow bar in Camden Town, Canadian Blast presented it’s first ever Camden Crawl Festival showcase, featuring the amassed talents of Mayor McCa, Artur Dyjecinski,  Octoberman, The Wilderness of Manitoba and The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Kicking off the afternoon was the maverick bearded one man band wonder that is Mayor Mcca. Playing to a mix of festival goers and slightly bemused locals, McCa soon had the whole venue charmed and singing along with his “Drinking Trilogy”. When playing at the start of a long weekend, having a song called “Hooray for Beer” in your repertoire can come in handy. Having won the crowd over he finished the remainder of the set before setting off  a crowd noise loop and running off stage and individually thanking everyone in the room.
Artur Dyjecinski and his band were up next with their fine line in brooding lo-fi melancholy, Although touring solo, Octoberman’s Marc Morrissette was joined for some of his set by some of the members of The Wilderness of Manitoba.

As the afternoon wore on the Fiddler’s elbow become steadily more full, and by the time The Wilderness of Manitoba took the stage for their European debut performance the venue was packed and buzzing to the sound of new Canadian talent provided by the Canadian Blast DJ’s. Yet the hubbub was hushed by the bands four part harmonies, and before long the band captivated the audience.

Closing out the afternoon was another European debut, this time from The Rural Alberta Advantage. Having landed earlier that morning, the bands set belied their jetlag and they tore through the songs taken from debut album hometowns at great pace. Despite not officially being released in the UK until later this month, many in the front row sang and danced along, while those at the back of the packed room had to climb on chairs to catch a glimpse of the band. As the event ended, fans were lined up to catch a few words or a picture with the bands. It wasn’t until two hours after the end of showcase that the final audience members left into the cooling May rain.

Up next for Canadian Blast Octoberman and The Wilderness of Manitoba at the Slaughtered Lamb, May 4th, and a pre- Great Escape Pure Groove Instore with Foon Yap, RIch Aucoin, The RAA, Joel Plaskett and Woodpigeon on May 11th.

I have been travelling across the Canadian Prairies freezing my arse off doing workshops for both Alberta and Manitoba Music.  The crowd that has come has been fantastic, and I urge you to check out their sites because they are better than I am at finding and developing the best new local talent.  Here’s some info…

www.manitobamusic.ca

www.amia.ca

On the road again….

Hi,

First off, I’ve updated the portfolio section of the site, which is my journalism life. Please go check that. Also, we’ve been updating listings on our new export portal, Canadian Blast. Go check that out and see some Canadian bands in the UK.

More news coming about Camden Crawl, The Great Escape, Liverpool Soundcity, Go North!, Leipzig Pop, Spot on Denmark and Nuits Sonores!

Here’s Coeur de Pirate!

Listen!!!

I love CBC Radio 3.  It’s the best way to find out what’s happening in Canada, alongside Indie Music Filter, Chromewaves, Herohill and a few other blogs.  And this playlist is fantastic…

The top 103 Songs of 2009…

http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/R3-103/playlist/R3-103-2009

Oh, and the listings are updated…  Good news!

An x-mas treat from our friends at THE LINE OF BEST FIT.

http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2009/12/hohohocanada/